Chapter 2
“You sure about this?”
Marcus arched an eyebrow, his dark stare cutting right through her.
“Dead sure.” I said firmly.
Mom was dead. Ryan and Lyra were going to pay for it.
Marcus was her only shot at making that happen.
His fingers drummed against the desk. The silence stretched, suffocating.
Her heart hammered in her chest.
Marcus suddenly chuckled low and made a phone call.
Minutes later, five small vials sat on the table between them.
“Each one’s harmless on its own. But all five within a week, game over. I need five days to move in on Ryan’s empire once he’s gone.”
He continued. “Take one now. I’ll have someone deliver the rest, one each day.”
Thea walked up the driveway, clutching the first vial.
As she walked through the front door, her stomach dropped-
All of Mom’s funeral arrangements were trashed, dumped in the yard like garbage.
“Look who’s back home.”
Following the voice, she looked up.
Lyra stood on the balcony above, dangling Mom’s portrait.
“Ryan had the staff clear out all this death crap. Can’t have bad vibes around our little prince, right?”
Thea stepped forward. “Put it down.”
“BENG!”
The frame exploded on the pavement.
Thea’s heart stopped. As she lunged for the broken glass, Lyra’s heel slammed down, grinding it into Mom’s face.
“Remember telling me to get lost? Didn’t think I’d be back, did you?”
“You were just Ryan’s backup plan while I was away. He’s always been mine. Your dead mommy finally proved it.”
Thea’s jaw clenched. “Move. Your. Foot.”
Lyra finally stepped back, smirking.
But as Thea stood up with the broken photo, Lyra suddenly screamed and stumbled backward, falling right into Ryan’s arms.
“Thea?”
Ryan’s face twisted with rage. “How dare you pushed her!”
“I didn’t! She just-
Before Thes could finish, Lyra burst into tears.
“I know you hate me, but the baby didn’t do anything wrong… Maybe I should just leave. I’m scared I’ll lose him if I stay…”
Lyra took a step toward the door, but Ryan pulled her back.
“You’re staying. I swear-nothing’s gonna happen to you or our kid.”
“But what if she-”
“She won’t.”
At his words, panic shot through Thea’s chest.
The next second, Ryan dragged her to the top of the stairs, her body dangling over the edge.
“Don’t-”
Before she finished, Ryan let her go.
Thea tumbled down the stairs, glass shards cutting
She left a red trail all the way down.
into
When she finally stopped, everything went
black from the pain. It felt like her insides had been rearranged.
“Oh my God!”
Lyra gasped, but Ryan pulled her against him.
“She’s fine. Just a tumble down some stairs. Don’t look, babe-don’t want you getting all worked up.”
Ryan walked Lyra back inside, barely glancing at Thea as he stepped over her.
His look was ice-cold-like she was some spoiled brat who’d finally gotten what she deserved.
“Hope that hurt, Thea. Maybe you’ll think twice next time.”
Thea lay crumpled on the floor, tears mixing with blood.
Through the haze of pain, she remembered four years ago.
Ryan’s company was just getting off the ground. He was working around the clock when her gallbladder flared up and she needed emergency surgery.
She’d lied and said she was on a girls’ trip-didn’t want him to worry.
But he still found out anyway on the day she was discharged.
He rushed to the hospital and held her, tears in his eyes.
“Don’t be so tough, Thea. It kills me when you hurt.”
After that, he’d freak out over a paper cut.
Now here he was, telling her to be a good girl and take her punishment.
Everything hurt.
And there was no one left to care.
Thea pressed Mom’s broken photo to her chest and passed out from the pain.
